System for Detachably Connecting a Large Number of Signal Lines of Two Components

ABSTRACT

A system for detachably connecting a first electronic component with a second electronic component ( 6 ), whereby a large number of signal lines of the first component are connected with corresponding signal lines of the second component ( 6 ). A sheet-like part ( 2 ) of the first component is provided with a number of conducting areas ( 4 ) arranged in an array at the surface of the sheet-like part ( 2 ) near an edge ( 3 ) of said sheet-like part ( 2 ). Each of said conducting areas ( 4 ) is connected with a signal line of the first component. A part of the second component ( 6 ) is provided with a number of contact elements ( 7 ) arranged in an array at the surface of said part, whereby each of said contact elements ( 7 ) is connected with a signal line of the second component ( 6 ). Each contact element ( 7 ) has a contact surface for contacting one of said conducting areas ( 4 ) of the first component. Means ( 10 ) are present to push each of said conducting areas ( 4 ) of the first component against a corresponding contact element ( 7 ) of the second component ( 6 ).

The invention is related to a system for detachably connecting a firstelectronic component with a second electronic component, whereby a largenumber of signal lines of the first component are connected withcorresponding signal lines of the second component.

The first component is for example a display provided with a screenhaving a large number of pixels, whereby each pixel can change itsappearance dependent on an electrical signal supplied by electricalsignal lines in the material of the display, so that a certain imagewill appear on the screen. In case the electrical signals for producingthe image on the screen are supplied to the display through or by asecond component, each signal line of the first component (the display)has to be connected with a corresponding signal line of the secondcomponent, and, for several reasons, it may be required that theconnection is detachable.

Such connection can be established by means of electric plugs, eachcomprising a large number of contact elements, whereby one part of theplug is attached to the first component and the complementary part ofthe plug is attached to the second component. However, plugs with largenumbers of electrical contacts are voluminous and difficult to handle bynot skilled users. Furthermore, when making use of electric plugs, bothcomponents have to be provided with a rather voluminous part of theplug, and it may be desired that at least one of the mutual connectableand detachable components is small and/or inexpensive, for example whensuch component has a short life time and/or should be changed from timeto time. In case the other component is reused several times, suchcomponent may have a more complicated and/or expensive connecting part.

Another way of establishing such a connection is through clamping aflexfoil into a connector, as is done routinely inside small electronicdevices such as diskmans and mobile phones. However, due to the natureof the connection only up to ten lines can be connected at a time, andonly by a skilled person, not by the user of the device. Furthermore,these connections are only intended to be made once, upon assembly ofthe device.

The object of the invention is a system for detachably connecting afirst electronic component with a second electronic component, whereby areliable electric connection between a large number of signal lines ofeach of the components is required, and whereby at least one of thecomponents is free from complicated or relative large connectiondevices.

To accomplish with that object, a sheet-like part of the first componentis provided with a number of conducting areas arranged in an array atthe surface of the sheet-like part near an edge of said sheet-like part;whereby each of said conducting areas is connected with a signal line ofthe first component, and whereby a part of the second component isprovided with a number of contact elements arranged in an array at thesurface of said part, whereby each of said contact elements is connectedwith a signal line of the second component, whereby each contact elementhas a contact surface for contacting one of said conducting areas of thefirst component, and whereby means are present to push each of saidconducting areas of the first component against a corresponding contactelement of the second component.

So, the signal lines of the first component terminate in conductingareas at the surface of the sheet-like part of the first component at alocation where such conducting areas can contact the contact surfaces ofthe corresponding contact elements of the second component. When thefirst component is attached to the second component, each signal line ofthe first component is electrically connected to the correspondingcontact element of the second component. There may be more contactelements at the second component than conducting areas at the firstcomponent, because another first component, which can be connected tothe same second component, may have more conducting areas.

In general, the signal lines of the components have relative smalltransverse dimensions and are positioned close to each other, so that alarge number of signal lines can be accommodated on a relative smallarea of the material of the component. However, the conducting areasshould have a much larger dimension to make sure that the contact withthe corresponding contact element can be reliably established.Therefore, in one preferred embodiment, the conducting areas aredistributed in a two dimensional pattern on the sheet-like part of thefirst component, preferably the conducting areas are arranged in two ormore parallel arrays, in stead of one array. Such arrays may have equallengths, but also may have different lengths and/or a different numberof conducting areas. By arranging the conducting areas in two or more,preferably in three or more, more preferably in four or more mutuallyparallel arrays, a large number of relative large conducting areas canbe accommodated on a limited area of the surface of the sheet-like partof the first component.

The expression array is used for a row of conducting areas. The row maybe substantial straight or more or less curved. The conducting areas mayhave equal distances relative to each other or varying distances.Therefore, the conducting areas may be distributed over a certain regionof the first component. Preferably, the first component is provided withmore than 200 conducting areas, preferably more than 500 conductingareas. For example, such number of signal lines can produce a ratherdetailed image on the screen of a display.

In one preferred embodiment, the contact surface of the contact elementis at least four times, preferably eight times, and more preferablysixteen times smaller than the corresponding conducting area.Furthermore, the contact surfaces of the contact elements may protrude,preferable more then 0.01 mm, with respect to the remainder of thesurface of the second component near the contact elements. The relativesmall and preferably protruding contact surfaces of the contact elementsof the second component increases the reliability of the electriccontact and prevents the contact elements from contacting the materialof the sheet-like part of the first component outside the conductingareas, even in case of small variations in the dimensions of the arraysof conducting areas. Therefore, the space between conducting areas canbe provided with signal lines that are connected to other conductingareas, which signal lines may be present at the surface of thesheet-like part of the first component.

In one preferred embodiment, the sheet-like part of the first componentand/or the said part of the second component is made of flexiblematerial. For example, in case the first component is a flexibledisplay, i.e. a display consisting of thin flexible material, thesheet-like part can also be made of the same flexible material. Therelative large surface of each conducting area provides for a morereliable electric contact, in particular when the material carrying theconducting areas is flexible, whereby the distances between theconducting areas can vary a little.

The conducting areas of the first component have to be pushed againstthe contact surfaces of the contact elements of the second component toensure the presents of electric contact. Different kinds of clampingmeans can be used to generate the required pushing force. In onepreferred embodiment, a number of spring members are present, wherebyeach spring member pushes more than one, preferably more than sixcontact elements and the corresponding conducting areas against eachother, when the first component is connected to the second component.

The spring members can be part of a separate clamping member, forexample provided with a slot in which the sheet-like part of the firstcomponent as well as a sheet-like part of the second componentcomprising the contact elements can be inserted in order to be pushedagainst each other. However, in one preferred embodiment, the springmembers are attached to the second component.

Preferably, neighbouring conducting areas in different arrays are pushedby the same spring member against the corresponding contact elements ofthe second component. When more contact elements of the second componentare pushed against corresponding conducting areas of the first componentby the same spring member, the pushing force of the spring member has tobe distributed equally over the different contact elements. Theflexibility of the material of the sheet-like part of the firstcomponent and/or the flexibility of the material of the second componentand/or the elasticity of the spring member may provide for the requireddistribution of the pushing force.

So, preferably, a group of neighbouring conducting areas are pushedagainst corresponding contact elements by one spring member. In onepreferred embodiment, the conducting areas are located on substantialstraight lines perpendicular with respect to the direction of thearrays, whereby a spring member pushes all conducting areas located ontwo neighbouring lines against corresponding contact elements, whichcontact elements are also located on two neighbouring linesperpendicular to the arrays. Thereby, a spring member pushes twosuccessive conducting areas of each array against corresponding contactelements. In case six arrays of conducting areas are present, then eachspring member pushes twelve conducting areas against twelvecorresponding contact elements.

In one preferred embodiment, the sheet-like part of the first component,provided with the conducting areas at its surface, is located betweensaid spring members and said contact elements of the second component,so that the spring member pushes against the back side of the sheet-likepart of the first component, while the conducting areas are present atthe front side of that part.

Preferably, the spring member is a leaf spring having a flat part forabutting against the sheet-like part of the first component over an areaof the sheet-like part comprising two or more conducting areas, so thatthe two or more conducting areas are pushed against correspondingcontact elements.

In one preferred embodiment, one end of said flat part of the leafspring is connected to a substantial parallel part of the leaf springthrough a curved part of the leaf spring making a curve of about 180°,whereby the end of said parallel part is attached to a part of thesecond component or to a clamping member that can be attached to thesecond component. And preferably, the other end of said flat part of theleaf spring is connected to the end part of the leaf spring through acurved part of the leaf spring making a curve of about 135° in the otherdirection, whereby means are present that can push against said end partin order to displace said flat part of the leaf spring away from thecontact elements.

Preferably, the leaf springs are positioned in a row parallel to eachother, whereby successive leaf springs pushes two successive conductingareas in each array against corresponding contact elements, whichconducting areas are positioned on two lines perpendicular to thedirection of the arrays. Thereby the leaf springs can be fixed to a barextending parallel to the arrays of conducting areas. The configurationof the leaf springs will be further elucidated when an embodiment of thesystem is described.

The invention is also related to a clamping member for a for detachablyconnecting a first electronic component with a second electroniccomponent, whereby a large number of signal lines of the first componentare connected with corresponding signal lines of the second component,whereby a sheet-like part of the first component is provided with anumber of conducting areas arranged in one or more arrays at the surfaceof the sheet-like part near an edge of said sheet-like part, wherebyeach of said conducting areas is connected with a signal line of thefirst component, and whereby a part of the second component is providedwith a number of contact elements arranged in one or more arrays at thesurface of said part, whereby each of said contact elements is connectedwith a signal line of the second component, whereby each contact elementhas a contact surface for contacting one of said conducting areas of thefirst component, which clamping member comprises a row of leaf springs,whereby each leaf spring can push more than one conducting area of thefirst component against corresponding contact elements of the secondcomponent.

The invention of furthermore related to a method for detachablyconnecting a first electronic component with a second electroniccomponent, whereby a large number of signal lines of the first componentare connected with corresponding signal lines of the second component,whereby a sheet-like part of the first component is provided with anumber of conducting areas arranged in one or more arrays at the surfaceof the sheet-like part near an edge of said sheet-like part, wherebyeach of said conducting areas is connected with a signal line of thefirst component, and whereby a part of the second component is providedwith a number of contact elements arranged in one or more arrays at thesurface of said part, whereby each of said contact elements is connectedwith a signal line of the second component, whereby each contact elementhas a contact surface for contacting one of said conducting areas of thefirst component, and whereby each of said conducting areas of the firstcomponent is pushed against a corresponding contact element of thesecond component.

The invention will now be explained by means of a description of anembodiment of a system for detachably connecting a first component,being a flexible display, to a second component, being a connectionmember, in which reference is made to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a detachable flexible display;

FIG. 2 shows a part of FIG. 1 in more detail;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connection member;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a clamping member; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the clamping member.

The figures are schematic representations, whereby only relevantportions of the system are shown.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a detachable flexible display. The displayconsists of a thin sheet of flexible multilayer material. A rectangularpart of the sheet of material is a screen 1, provided with a largenumber of pixels arranged in arrays (parallel to the long side of therectangle) and columns (parallel to the short side of the rectangle).Each pixel can appear or disappear on the screen, dependent on anelectric potential in signal lines extending near the pixel. There aresignal lines parallel to the long side of the rectangular screen 1 andsignal lines parallel to the short side of the rectangular screen 1,which both groups of signal lines are present in different layers of themultilayer sheet material of the display. A crossing of two signal linesis present at the location of each pixel, and the pixel will appear onthe screen in case a certain electric potential is present in both ofthose two signal lines. Therefore, by controlling the electric potentialin each of the signal lines, an image can be generated on the screen 1.

Furthermore, the display is provided with an elongated rectangular part2 at the lower side near edge 3 of the display in FIG. 1. The surface ofrectangular part 2 is provided with a large number of square conductingareas 4, arranged in six arrays parallel to the edge 3 of the display.FIG. 2 shows a part of the display at an enlarged scale, as indicated inFIG. 1 with the rectangle 11. In FIG. 2 more details are visible, inparticular the six arrays of square conducting areas 4. Of course, theconducting areas may have another shape than a square shape. Eachconducting area 4 is connected to a signal line. Thereby, signal linesof conducting areas near the edge 3 are present between the conductingareas 4 further away from the edge 3.

The signal lines run from each conducting area 4 to the sides of therectangular screen 1 and then they form the said signal lines in thematerial of the screen 3 parallel to the long side and parallel to theshort side of the screen respectively. From the conducting area 4 to thescreen 1 the signal lines are imbedded in the material 5 of the displayaround the screen 3.

To generate an image on the screen 1 of the display, the conductingareas 4 on the elongated rectangular part 2 of the display has to bedetachably connected to driver electronics on another component,hereinafter called connection member. Thereby each conducting area 4must be connected to a corresponding signal line of the connectionmember.

FIG. 3 shows a connection member 6, which can be provided withelectronic components (not shown) such as driving electronics togenerate signals to be supplied to the display of FIG. 1. Connectionmember 6 is provided with a large number of signal lines, eachterminating in a contact element 7 near the edge 8 of the connectionmember 6. The contact elements 7 are arranged in six arrays having thesame dimensions as the six arrays of conducting areas 4 on the displayof FIG. 1. Each contact element 7 protrudes out of the material of theconnection member 6, in order to have a protruding contact surface forcontacting the corresponding conducting area 4 of the display.

To connect each contact element 7 with a corresponding conducting area4, the elongated rectangular sheet-like part 2 near the edge 3 of thedisplay can be positioned on the surface near the edge 8 of connectionmember 6, so that each contact element 7 of the connection member 6corresponds with a conducting area 4 of on display. Because the surfacesof the conducting areas 4 are much larger than the contact surfaces ofthe contact elements 7, there will also be a correct positioning of thecontact elements 7 with respect to the corresponding conducting areas 4when the mutual positions of the conducting areas 4 varies a little, forexample because of the flexibility of the material of the display. Andthereby it is ensured that the contact elements 7 will not tough thesignal lines that may be present between the conducting areas 4.

A variation of the mutual distances of the conducting areas 4 may alsobe created during the manufacturing of the display, whereby the materialis subjected to high temperatures. Furthermore, the dimensions of theconductive areas 4 may vary, so that a larger conductive area 4 ispresent at locations where the accuracy of the dimensions is less, forexample further away from a reference point, where the positioning ofthe part 2 of the first component and the relevant part of the secondcomponent is exact.

To achieve a reliable electric connection between each contact element 7with the corresponding conducting area 4, a pushing force has to presspart 2 of the display and the corresponding part of the connectionmember 6 together.

FIG. 4 shows a clamping member 9 that can press part 2 of the displayand the part of the connection member 6 near edge 8 together, in orderto electrically connect conducting areas 4 with corresponding contactelements 7. Clamping member 9 comprises a number of leaf springs 10positioned in a row parallel to each other. FIG. 5 is a sectional viewof clamping member 9 between two neighbouring leaf springs 10.

All leaf springs 10 have a common base 11. The leaf springs 10 and theircommon base 11 are manufactures out of a rectangular metal plate.Thereby the leaf springs 10 are formed by making parallel straight slotsin the rectangular metal plate extending parallel to the short sides ofthe rectangle. The slots extend from a long side to a location at somedistance from the other long side, so that along said other long sidethe said common base 11 is created. As a result, a number of parallelstraight bars extend from the common base 11, and by bending these barsthe desired row of parallel leaf springs 10, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5,is shaped.

As shown in FIG. 5, the common base 11 of the leaf springs 10 is fixedin a slot 12 of the main body 13 of the clamping member 9. The firstpart 14 of the parallel leaf springs 10 extend from the other side ofthe common base 11 in the plane of the common base 11. The second part15 of the leaf spring 10 is a curved part making a curve over 180°. Thethird part 16 of the leaf spring 10 is a flat part, which flat part 16extends substantial parallel to a flat surface 17 of the main body 13 ofthe clamping member 9. The fourth part 18 of the leaf spring 10 is acurved part making a curve over about 135° in the other directioncompared to the other curved part 15. The fifth part 19 is again a flatpart of the leaf spring 10.

In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, the part of the connection member6 near edge 8 is fixed on the flat surface 17 of the main body 13 of theclamping member 9, for example by means of an appropriate glue. Therebythe contact elements 7 protrude in upward direction from the surface ofthe material of connection member 6. There are six arrays of contactelements 7, which arrays extend perpendicular to the direction of theleaf springs 10. The width of the leaf springs 10 is more than thedistance between two neighbouring contact elements 7 in the arrays, sothat the flat part 16 of each leaf spring 10 covers two neighbouringcontact elements 7 of each array, and in total twelve contact elements 7are covered by each flat part 16.

In order to electrically connect the contact elements 7 withcorresponding conducting areas 4, the elongated rectangular sheet-likepart 2 near the edge 3 of the display is positioned between the flatparts 16 of the leaf springs 10 and the part of connection member 6 thatis fixed to surface 17. In that position, the flat parts 16 will pushthe conducting areas 4 against the corresponding contact elements 7.Because of the shape of the leaf spring 10, the flat part 16 can move insubstantial vertical direction (in FIG. 5), so that the spring force ofthe leaf spring 10 pushes flat part 16 downward in vertical direction.Thereby the conducting areas 4 in different arrays will be pushed withsubstantial equal forces downwardly.

In order to release the rectangular part 2 of the display, the flat part16 of the leaf spring can be lifted by rotating operation member 20around its axis 21. Operation member 20 is shown in FIG. 5 in crosssection. Member 20 has a flat surface 22, so that the edge of that flatsurface 22 will abut part 19 of the leaf spring 10 when member 20 isrotated counterclockwise. It will be clear that the flat part 16 of theleaf spring 10 is lifted when the operation member 20 is furtherrotated. Because of the shape of leaf spring 10, the flat part 16 islifted over its entire length.

When the flat parts 16 of leaf springs 10 are lifted, the rectangularpart 2 of the display can be inserted or removed between the flat part16 and the part of the connection member 6 that is fixed on the flatpart 17 of the main body 13. Certain reference surfaces of the clampingmember 9, which are not shown on the figures, are present to keep therectangular part 2 in a correct position when the flat parts 16 of theleaf springs 10 is brought in its pushing condition.

The leaf springs 10 can be made of any elastic material, for examplemetal or plastic material. The other parts of the clamping member 9 canalso be made of any appropriate material, for example also metal orplastic material.

FIG. 4 shows the clamping member 9 without the parts of the electroniccomponents to be pushed together. Both parts can be brought togetherbetween the flat parts 16 of the leaf springs 10 and the flat surface17. However, preferably the relevant part of the connection member 6 isfixed to the flat surface as shown in FIG. 5.

The embodiment as described above is merely an example of a system fordetachably connecting a first electronic component with a secondelectronic component; a great many other embodiments are possible.

1. A system for detachably connecting a first electronic component witha second electronic component (6), whereby a large number of signallines of the first component are connected with corresponding signallines of the second component (6), whereby a sheet-like part (2) of thefirst component is provided with a number of conducting areas (4)arranged in an array at the surface of the sheet-like part (2) near anedge (3) of said sheet-like part (2), whereby each of said conductingareas (4) is connected with a signal line of the first component, andwhereby a part of the second component (6) is provided with a number ofcontact elements (7) arranged in an array at the surface of said part,whereby each of said contact elements (7) is connected with a signalline of the second component (6), whereby each contact element (7) has acontact surface for contacting one of said conducting areas (4) of thefirst component, and whereby means (10) are present to push each of saidconducting areas (4) of the first component against a correspondingcontact element (7) of the second component (6).
 2. A system as claimedin claim 1, characterized in that the conducting areas (4) aredistributed in a two dimensional pattern on the sheet-like part (2) ofthe first component, preferably the conducting areas (4) are arranged intwo or more parallel arrays.
 3. A system as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that the first component is provided with more than 200conducting areas (4), preferably more than 500 conducting areas (4). 4.A system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said contactsurface of the contact element (7) of the second component (6) is atleast four times, preferably eight times, and more preferably sixteentimes smaller than said conducting area (4) of the first component.
 5. Asystem as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the sheet-like part(2) of the first component and/or the said part of the second component(6) is made of flexible material.
 6. A system as claimed in claim 1,characterized by a number of spring members (10), whereby each springmember (10) pushes more than one, preferably more than six contactelements (7) and the corresponding conducting areas (4) against eachother, when the first component is connected to the second component(6).
 7. A system as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the springmembers (10) are attached to the second component (6).
 8. A system asclaimed in claim 6, characterized in that neighbouring conducting areas(4) in different arrays are pushed by the same spring member (10)against the corresponding contact elements (7).
 9. A system as claimedin claim 6, characterized in that the conducting areas (4) are locatedon substantial straight lines perpendicular with respect to thedirection of the arrays, whereby a spring member (10) pushes allconducting areas (4) located on two neighbouring lines against thecorresponding contact elements (7).
 10. A system as claimed in claim 6,characterized in that the sheet-like part (2) of the first component,provided with the conducting areas (4) at its surface, is locatedbetween said spring members (10) and said contact elements (7) of thesecond component (6).
 11. A system as claimed in claim 6, characterizedin that said spring member is a leaf spring (10) having a flat part (16)for abutting against the sheet-like part (2) of the first component overan area of the sheet-like part (2) comprising two or more conductingareas (4), so that the two or more conducting areas (4) are pushedagainst the corresponding contact elements (7).
 12. A system as claimedin claim 11, characterized in that one end of said flat part (16) of theleaf spring (10) is connected to a substantial parallel part (14) of theleaf spring (10) through a curved part (15) of the leaf spring (10)making a curve of about 180°, whereby the end of said parallel part isattached to a part (11) of the second component (6).
 13. A system asclaimed in claim 12, characterized in that the other end of said flatpart (16) of the leaf spring (10) is connected to the end part (19) ofthe leaf spring (10) through a curved part (18) of the leaf spring (10)making a curve of about 135° in the other direction, whereby means (20)are present that can push against said end part (19) in order todisplace said flat part (16) of the leaf spring (10) away from thecontact elements (7).
 14. A system as claimed in claim 11, characterizedin that the leaf springs (10) are positioned in a row parallel to eachother, whereby successive leaf springs (10) pushes two, or more,successive conducting areas (4) in each array to corresponding contactelements (7), which conducting areas (4) are positioned on two, or more,lines perpendicular to the direction of the arrays.
 15. A clampingmember for a for detachably connecting a first electronic component witha second electronic component (6), whereby a large number of signallines of the first component are connected with corresponding signallines of the second component, whereby a sheet-like part (2) of thefirst component is provided with a number of conducting areas (4)arranged in one or more arrays at the surface of the sheet-like part (2)near an edge (3) of said sheet-like part (2), whereby each of saidconducting areas (4) is connected with a signal line of the firstcomponent, and whereby a part of the second component (6) is providedwith a number of contact elements (7) arranged in one or more arrays atthe surface of said part, whereby each of said contact elements (7) isconnected with a signal line of the second component, whereby eachcontact element (7) has a contact surface for contacting one of saidconducting areas (4) of the first component, which clamping member (9)comprises a row of leaf springs (10), whereby each leaf spring (10) canpush more than one conducting area (4) of the first component againstcorresponding contact elements (7) of the second component (6).
 16. Amethod for detachably connecting a first electronic component with asecond electronic component (6), whereby a large number of signal linesof the first component are connected with corresponding signal lines ofthe second component (6), whereby a sheet-like part (2) of the firstcomponent is provided with a number of conducting areas (4) arranged inone or more arrays at the surface of the sheet-like part (2) near anedge (3) of said sheet-like part (2), whereby each of said conductingareas (4) is connected with a signal line of the first component, andwhereby a part of the second component (6) is provided with a number ofcontact elements (7) arranged in one or more arrays at the surface ofsaid part, whereby each of said contact elements (7) is connected with asignal line of the second component (6), whereby each contact element(7) has a contact surface for contacting one of said conducting areas(4) of the first component, and whereby each of said conducting areas(4) of the first component is pushed against a corresponding contactelement (7) of the second component (6).